It’s round three in the Europa League and Our football expert has put together his best five bets.
Matches
Prediction
Odds
Galatasaray vs Elfsborg
Galatasaray
1.26
Porto vs Hoffenheim
Porto
1.59
Athletic Bilbao vs Slavia Prague
Athletic Bilbao
1.84
Tottenham vs AZ Alkmaar
Tottenham
1.49
Lyon vs Besiktas
Lyon
1.63
Odds courtesy of 1xBet. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Galatasaray aim to bounce back and secure back-to-back home victories in this competition, having drawn 2-2 with RFS last time out.
On home turf, however, they've been a formidable force in all competitions, clinching victory in four of their last five matches and netting three or more goals in four of those games.
Elfsborg shocked Roma with a 1-0 victory at home, but have since suffered two league defeats, allowing seven goals in the process. The hosts boast exceptional quality in the final third, and can add another win to their name in the Europa League.
Porto served up a cracking 3-3 draw against Man United last time out in this tournament. However, they need victories to secure a place in the knockout stage.
With nine wins in their last ten home matches, the Portuguese giants are phenomenal in front of their fans. The visitors, on the other hand, have struggled away from home, failing to secure a win in their last four road games.
Although Hoffenheim remain unbeaten, this will be their toughest challenge yet, and Porto have the capability to capitalise on their travels again.
Athletic Bilbao picked up a valuable point against Roma in Italy, then followed it up with a solid performance and victory over Alkmaar at home.
The Spanish club have lost only twice in their last ten games (to Girona and Atletico Madrid) and recently dominated Espanyol. Their home ground has become a stronghold over the past year.
Slavia Prague remain unbeaten (W1 D1), but Ludogorets are far weaker than Bilbao and might have been lucky against 10-men Ajax at home. Back on the road, they may struggle against a top side.
Aside from their blip against Brighton, Spurs have been flying this season across all competitions. A convincing 4-1 win this past weekend against rivals West Ham helped them recover from their previous defeat, and now Alkmaar face a tough challenge in England's capital.
The visitors just edged past Elfsborg despite conceding two, and were easily defeated by Athletic Bilbao. Tottenham are unlikely to lose many games at home this season, especially in the group stage of the competition. They are expected to secure another routine victory, having won six of their last seven matches.
Lyon beat Conference League holders Olympiacos 2-0 before hammering Rangers 4-1 on the road. They are two from two and are looking extremely comfortable in this competition so far.
Ranked second after two matches, the French club faces the weakest team, as Besiktas have lost both games, conceding seven goals along the way.
Ajax battered the Turkish club 4-0, and Frankfurt followed up with a confident 3-1 victory on the road.
Lyon have won their last five matches, scoring at least two in each, and this game should be another straightforward victory for the hosts.
Our football expert is predicting five home wins in round three of the Europa League. Galatasaray can kickstart this round of tips on 24/10, followed by Portuguese giants Porto, Athletic Bilbao, Lyon and Tottenham, who can also reward their fans for their loyal support during these midweek fixtures.
